COLA Islington

this school is so bad no offence but personally it was not a good experience do NOT come here there are rats and everything i once saw them and the parking room is filled with mold and made someone cough up blood bcz they had a asthmatic experience

agree the school deserve it! To be honest I know that parents especially immigrants who come from humble background push their kids academically to have a better future and are often more strict in terms of discipline. Many state schools who are the best performing ones are in underprivileged areas. There’s a big push. And investment to make “these kids” succeed. I do mingle with privileged and not so privileged families and I have to say kids behaviour are definitely not linked to the family’s socio- economical profile! The ofsted report of Colai highlight the outstanding behaviour of kids. I ask some of them if there was any bullying and all said no that the school doesn’t tolerate it and that it was a strict but very happy school. Anyways I still have a couple of years to decide… thanks for all your input!

It is the Packington Estate. This is a large estate which was all knocked down and rebuilt over the period 2004-2016 so it is a much better quality environment than it used to be. The modern high rise buildings that you saw were probably part of the estate.

COLA-I also draws a lot of students from the big estates off City Road. Central Foundation for Boys (by Old St roundabout) is quite an academic school so boys who don’t like the idea of this go to COLA-I.

We live about 15 minutes walk from COLA-I. I think that the school are doing a fabulous job with the considerable challenges that they face. But, in Islington, it really helps a school when they can attract the middle class kids. The terms used are usually ‘privileged’ and ‘non-privileged’ which can be translated as parents owning a property versus parents living in social housing. Personally, I don’t know any ‘privileged’ kids who go to COLA-I but I think with such big improvements in education in Islington, surely this will come.

I personally would put more weight on a recent outstanding ofsted than an old one. May I ask which council estate is that? When I visited it was all terraced houses and modern high rise buildings but I might have missed something. Cola highgate hill (different school in Islington) is surrendered by council estate and has indeed a “hard catchment” but not sure it is the case for colai (?) Elisabeth Garrett according to the 2023 data has the same level of premium students has Colai, way more student with English has additional language and grades not that great.

In my area almost no schools are outstanding under the latest rating system

@snowtrees the other local schools - Central Foundation Boys and Elizabeth Garrett Anderson (girls) are also Outstanding.

Yes, I agree, Snowtrees. Hard Catchment is right. The school would face every sort of problem it is possible to have in an inner London secondary school. There is a large council estate across the road from it which has a bad reputation.

Middle class parents go to great lengths to avoid the school.

To get an outstanding rating is very very hard. Rare. I'd be seriously impressed if they have a hard catchment

This school was previously called Islington Green School which had a lot of problems. The kids from the school appear in Pink Floyd’s Another Brick in the Wall (We don’t want no education!) 1979.

The buildings were knocked down and rebuilt in a good looking modern design. The school re-opened as COLA-I Academy in 2008.

I can also confirm that middle class parents avoid this school. We are near the school.

I looked up figures and 73% of the pupils were pupil premium in 2021. So this means at least 73% were living in poverty. But I believe that the school is doing great things despite the challenges.

This an old thread. But to answer your question @snowtrees, my child attends a state primary that’s near to COLA-i. I know lots of local parents and what jobs some of them do. Those that are middle class don’t send their kids to that secondary. Maybe it’s their loss, but that’s what happens.

How do you know there are not plenty of middle class kids there?
Our big state high is in a very mixed area in all respects & I'd have zero clue who was MC or not unless I followed them home & asked about parent jobs etc

Strongly considering Colai too.. and I’m “middle class” … kids outside seems all well behaved. Parents I spoke too at pick ups are all happy and performance are better than many “middle class” targeted schools… follow your instincts!

Central Foundation may be a better option for you than COLA-I.

The middle class parents in Islington favour St Mary Magdalene Academy. But Central Foundation and Elizabeth Garrett Anderson (girls) are also good choices.

OP, as the parent with a child at a local state primary, I’m already “mixing in the wrong circles.” And I’m not going to send my DC to COLA-I.

It is not your only option. In terms of state schools, you can join other waiting lists. You have said that you can stay at your prep school, and mentioned Northbridge House. Please explore these options. I can’t see COLA-I being a good fit for a prep school kid, so you are likely to end up taking one of these routes anyway. Why not do so without disrupting your child’s education and risking his happiness?

OP - have PM'd you.

Sorry, all I was talking about COLA Highgate Hill. Is COLA Islington the same as Highbury Grove?

I don’t have any knowledge of the school in question but I use this website a lot, obviously it doesn’t give the full picture, I’m sure given its outstanding status it has a lot of extremely dedicated teachers and strong leadership.

www.compare-school-performance.service.gov.uk/school/135587/city-of-london-academy-islington/secondary

But it doesn’t mask the fact that this school is operating within some challenging circumstances: at first glance academics look very weak and 75% of children are eligible for free school meals vs an England average of 27%.

@Reeewwwww I can’t put you in touch with that parent, it was only a remark in passing.

Most people come on here looking for help with their decisions. It seems to me that you’ve made a decision and now you’re looking for evidence to support it. But I'm not sure any will be forthcoming.

@Springrabbit are you referring to COLA Highgate Hill? OP has asked about COLA Islington

@Reeewwwww details might be a bit outing so I will PM you

I live locally and am amazed you put COLA as your first choice, especially if you live on the edge of Bloomsbury! Everyone I know avoids it like the plague, especially for boys. In terms of local options for "middle-class" kids, most go to Highgate Wood if you get in (we are literally just in catchment), move to Muswell Hill or go private. A couple go to Parliament Hill or William Ellis. Other options are Islington Arts & Media, St Aloysius, none of which are great options. It's well known that Islington is rubbish for secondary schools.